Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rome and Prato

For one person, living is cheaper in Prato: $1,896 a month against $1,998 in Rome, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rome outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

97

Cost of Living Index in Rome
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Rome Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Prato
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Prato Living Index

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Rome

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,998

/mo nomad

Prato

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rome and in Prato

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rome and in Prato actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,998 per month in Rome vs $1,896 in Prato, rent included.

Rome $1,998
Prato $1,896

A couple spends around $3,117 per month in Rome vs $2,806 in Prato, rent included.

Rome $3,117
Prato $2,806

A family of three spends $4,236 per month in Rome vs $3,716 in Prato, rent included.

Rome $4,236
Prato $3,716

Rome costs about 5% more than Prato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rome and Prato sit above the global median – Rome by 48%, Prato by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 €14.84

$24.11 €21.44

-30.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 €58.5

$76.8 €68.3

-14.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.85

$11.63 €10.34

-4.73%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.87

$1.84 €1.64

14.13%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.59

$2.98 €2.65

-2.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.50 €1.34

-1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 €5.00

$6.79 €6.04

-17.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 €5.94

$5.52 €4.91

21.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.59 €1.42

8.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.20 €1.95

3.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.93 €2.61

2.05%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.23

$4.59 €4.08

3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$20.28 €18.04

-28.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 €11.24

$12.31 €10.95

2.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 €17.67

$19.14 €17.02

3.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$2.47 €2.20

6.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.35 €2.09

-2.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.19

$3.38 €3.00

-27.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$3.21 €2.85

-24.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.22

$2.31 €2.06

-40.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.66 €1.47

-6.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.24 €1.10

6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.49

$0.36 €0.32

52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.50

$6.39 €5.68

14.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 €4.84

$8.16 €7.26

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.40

$1.95 €1.73

-18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$3.12 €2.77

-16.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.19 €1.95

-25.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 €34.92

$38.28 €34.05

2.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 €5.79

$3.67 €3.26

77.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.26 €1.12

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.24 €29.57

$30.90 €27.49

7.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.98 €1.76

9.60%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.3K €31.4K

$28.5K €25.3K

24.08%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.4K €31.5K

$35.0K €31.2K

1.10%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$203 €181

$288 €256

-29.55%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.50 €10.22

$11.55 €10.27

-0.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 €28.49

$29.39 €26.15

8.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 €58.6

$42.61 €37.90

54.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €20.36

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

$11.54 €10.27

-2.69%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$484 €430

$383 €341

26.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$16.9K €15.0K

-2.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 €63.1

$97.6 €86.8

-27.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.51 €32.47

$36.24 €32.24

0.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 €75.5

$99.8 €88.8

-14.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$148 €132

-17.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$747 €665

63.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 €784

$604 €537

45.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 €2,257

$1,046 €931

142.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,530

$879 €782

95.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 €7,360

$3,215 €2,860

157.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 €2,743

$2,092 €1,861

47.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 €1,728

$2,098 €1,866

-7.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.16

11.39%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rome: October 12, 2026

Last update for Prato: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Rome

$881 44.1%

Prato

$604 31.8% 31.5% $278

Groceries & Markets

Rome

$329 16.5%

Prato

$356 18.8% 8% $26

Eating Out

Rome

$251 12.6%

Prato

$313 16.5% 24.6% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rome

$246 12.3%

Prato

$329 17.4% 33.5% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Rome

$141 7.1%

Prato

$172 9.1% 21.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Rome

$88 4.4%

Prato

$66 3.5% 25.6% $23

Getting Around

Rome

$61 3%

Prato

$57 3% 6.1% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,222 in Rome versus $747 in Prato. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Prato, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Rome versus $77.0 in Prato. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $329 vs $356 – making Rome the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Rome

🇮🇹 Prato

🕒 Local time

05:42 5:42 AM

Same time as Rome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,848,084 Capital

191,150

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rome vs Prato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rome is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,998 per month in Rome and $2,844 in Prato. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Prato, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,998 in Rome and $1,896 in Prato. That's a gap of about 5%.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Prato. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Prato, where all-in costs run around $1,896, than in Rome at $1,998. In Prato it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rome it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Prato – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Prato. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rome makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.